Why Protecting Your Body Every Day with Nature’s Most-Potent Antioxidants is so Important

By Dr. Kevin Passero

You’ve almost certainly heard of antioxidants, but what are they and what do they really do?

The main function of antioxidants is to neutralize harmful free radicals to reduce the oxidative stress which has been linked to a wide range of age-related health issues.  

Today I’m sharing what antioxidants and free radicals are in more detail, why excess oxidative stress can be so harmful, and why I strongly recommend that you make sure you are getting the daily full body protection of two specific antioxidants.

What are Free Radicals and Why are They so Damaging to Your Health?

Simply put, free radicals are molecules which have an unpaired electron, which makes them highly interact and react with things around them.*

These free radicals often end up attacking other molecules in your body, damaging cells and disrupting their function.* Free radicals target proteins, fats (lipids) and nucleic acids (the cells that make up our DNA).*

Your body naturally makes free radicals due to certain factors including:*

• Immune cell activation
• Inflammation
• Stress and anxiety
• Excessive exercise
• Infection
• Aging

In addition to sources found within the body, free radicals are created from external factors including air and water pollution, smoking cigarettes, frequent alcohol use and exposure to heavy metals.*

Free radicals can’t be completely avoided, but that’s a good thing. We need free radicals for many functions in the body. For example, your immune system releases free radicals to attack pathogens like viruses making them a vital part of your body’s defense mechanisms.**

But as you age, it becomes more important to protect yourself from excess free radical build up in the body, which is the root cause of many age-related health issues.

Health Problems Related to Free Radicals

While your body needs some level of free radicals, when there are too many for your body to effectively manage and neutralize, oxidative stress occurs, causing damage to your cells and molecules.**

Inflammation is at the root of many age-related health issues and inflammation can be strongly linked to oxidative stress.

The health concerns linked to inflammation include:

• Serious heart issues including high cholesterol and blood pressure*
• Brain health and neurological issues**
• Joint pain and stiffness*
• Vision and macular health*
• Kidney function*

As you can see, inflammation plays a role in numerous health conditions, which makes maintaining free radical balance to reduce oxidative stress vitally important for overall health.   

What are Antioxidants and How do They Protect you From Harm?

While free radicals have an unpaired electron which makes them unstable and volatile, antioxidants act as a biochemical shield that can neutralize these free radicals to protect your cells.*

Unpaired electrons are in a heightened state of reactivity and actively seek out another electron to bind to in order to create a stable chemical state. Effective antioxidants provide this missing electron to the free radical, therefore completing the chemical reaction and creating stability.

This sacrificial donation of an electron by the antioxidant prevents the free radical from stealing electrons from critical cellular structures in our body, which damages our cells, including cell membranes and DNA.*  

Antioxidants are both made by the body as well as supplied externally through food and supplements.

It’s also important to know when an antioxidant neutralizes a free radical, the antioxidant itself oxidizes. When an antioxidant oxidizes, it loses its ability to function as an antioxidant. This means you need a consistent daily supply of antioxidants to maintain proper balance.*

Where Do You Find Antioxidants?

While your body makes certain types of antioxidants, you get most of your antioxidants from your diet.*

A few examples of antioxidants we can find in food and drinks include:*

• Vitamin E
• Vitamin C
• Beta-carotene
• Lycopene
• Selenium
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Astaxanthin

Certain foods have higher levels of antioxidants than others. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and nuts tend to be more antioxidant-rich compared to grains, starches and meat.*

Foods high in antioxidants include:*

• Fruits: oranges, apples, blueberries
• Vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, green leafy vegetables
• Herbs and spices: garlic, cinnamon, black pepper
• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds

Green tea, pomegranate juice, espresso and red wine are some beverages with the highest antioxidant content.*

Antioxidants for Full Body Protection

Adjusting your diet can help increase your antioxidant intake but sometimes that can be tough to maintain long term. This is why taking a high-quality antioxidant supplement can ensure that you are doing all that you can to get plenty of antioxidants daily to reduce oxidative stress.

Here is why astaxanthin and pomegranate extract are my absolute two favorite antioxidants for full body protection. 

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant in the carotenoid family like the more well-known beta carotene. While they’re in the same family, astaxanthin is far more potent than beta carotene, making it a great option when looking for antioxidant protection.*

Astaxanthin is especially effective at combatting all free radicals but has a particularly strong effect against a damaging form of free radical oxidation called singlet oxygen.

Astaxanthin is perhaps the best antioxidant on earth at neutralizing the “rusting out” that results from the singlet oxygen oxidation process, and it is dramatically more powerful in this regard than other potent antioxidants:*

• 40 times stronger than beta-carotene
• 100 times stronger than vitamin E
• 550 times stronger than green tea (EGCG)
• 800 times stronger than CoQ10
• And 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C

Health benefits of astaxanthin include reducing inflammation which can support a number of common conditions related to heart, brain, joint, eye and immune health.* Supporting skin health and reducing the risks of sun damage are also benefits of taking astaxanthin as a supplement.*

Pomegranate

Another potent antioxidant is the polyphenols found in pomegranates. Used around the world for centuries, pomegranate peels, seeds and juice are rich in polyphenols and exhibit many antioxidant properties.

Whole fruit pomegranate extract contains a much higher level of punicalagins than pomegranate juice due to the rich concentration in the peel. Punicalagins are among the most powerful antioxidants in nature, and emerging research is showing that they are among the most effective at reducing body-wide inflammation and protecting skin from UV damage. Their antioxidant activity is more than triple that of green tea and red wine.**

Other health benefits of pomegranate include reducing blood pressure and inflammation which supports heart health and can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular issues. Cholesterol lowering benefits have also been seen with pomegranate thanks to its antioxidant properties.*

The anti-inflammatory benefits of pomegranate may also help reduce symptoms related to painful joint issues.*

The Body-Wide Protection of Durable SHIELD™

We create and are exposed to free radicals every day. So to make it easy to effectively neutralize excess radicals on a daily basis to reduce the harmful consequences of oxidative stress, I created Durable SHIELD.

This extraordinary formula provides exceptionally powerful antioxidant protection for every cell in your body with research-based doses of two of nature’s most potent free radical fighters including an extra-strength 12 mg dose of Zanthin® astaxanthin along with a research-based 267 mg of Pomanox® pomegranate extract. 

Get ultra-potent body-wide antioxidant protection with Durable SHIELD.